Chapter 1 - Threat

The residence in the easternmost area of the Imperial Palace was originally called Cheongwoon Palace. However, it was more commonly called Wei Palace. It was not large in size but the beauty of the building added to its perceived size, which was why it was called Wei Palace (“Grand Palace”).

The current resident of Cheongwoon Palace was Geonwoon, the son of the emperor’s only daughter, Imperial Princess Yeonhwa. He was a beautiful young master, residing in a beautiful palace. He was called His Highness of Wei, and he never smiled. He merely watched the flowers outside his window with gloomy eyes.

“Your Highness.”

Geonwoon was different from his mother, the Imperial Princess, who was the sole heir to the throne and loved by all. Imperial Princess Yeonhwa was born with auspicious energy, so despite her being a Yin[1] individual, she was appointed as the Crown Princess. But the moment Geonwoon was born, her world fell apart.

The child in the crown princess’ womb was the long-awaited Yang child, but four days after his birth, the princess passed away from puerperal fever without ever embracing her newborn in her arms.

Then and now, it was common for a Yin to die during childbirth, but it was a national tragedy that Yeonhwa, the princess sent from the heavens, turned her back to the world.

The entire country was devastated, and the emperor was in such shock that he refused to eat and fell into a depression. There was no way to bring warmth back to her chilled corpse. The living could only arrange an extravagant funeral for the princess left for the embrace of the king of the underworld. However, the misfortunes did not end there. After the funeral of Imperial Princess Yeonhwa, Geonwoon’s father, Duke Haewoo, fell in the battle against invading enemies.

“Your Highness!”

The inauspicious child who consumed his mother and harmed his father. Despite that, the emperor could not turn his back on his bloodline. He named the child and gave him the best residence in the Imperial Palace.

“Your Highness?”

That was not all. The emperor planned to give the throne to his grandson who grew to look more like his mother as heroes were made from trials and tribulations. Above all, Geonwoon was none other than the son of Imperial Princess Yeonhwa.

Yet now…

“Oh…”

“What were you thinking so deeply about? You did not respond to my calling.”

“Nothing much…” Geonwoon snapped out of his thoughts and turned to his court lady, Ryeon. She was a standard court lady of Cheongwoon Palace and Ordinary,[2] but having practically grown up with Geonwoon, she was one of the few servants he was close to in the palace.

“Anyway, did you find out what I asked you?”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Ryeon replied, and to that, Geonwoon sighed in relief. One might have thought that he grew up sheltered within the safe confines of the emperor and the empress, but due to the series of misfortunes he experienced since his birth, there were many who resented him for being a cursed child.

Geonwoon was especially quick and meticulous as he resided in Wei Palace as an heir without the title of the crown prince—his placement in the hierarchy was ambiguous.

Thus, he worked harder than anyone else and lived quietly. He couldn’t disappoint his grandfather, who had high expectations, and he could not tarnish the reputation of his deceased parents. However, he couldn’t live crouched forever. The health of the emperor had declined so much from the disease that nobody would be surprised if he died any second.

“How are things like? I heard there were many who failed to gather at Yeoncheong Palace these days.”

As the emperor’s symptoms worsened and dragged on, the ministers blatantly refused to attend the daily assembly. Moreover, some outright declared their true thoughts and intentions.

“Well… According to the rumors…”

“You can go ahead—I’m fine.”

“They are gathering secretly at the residence of Prime Minister Joo.”

“At his excellency’s house?”

Geonwoon scowled. Even though Geonwoon was the regent in for the ill emperor, the ministers were showing their true natures. Geonwoon was aware of why they were disregarding him. While he was the son of the former crown princess, the ministers did not wish to accept Geonwoon, the only child of a Yin crown princess, born with an unlucky fate.

Ryeon knew of these circumstances, yet she could not dare to say this to her master’s face. Geonwoon was aware of the inconvenience Ryeon felt and sighed. He asked instead, “What else?”

“After his majesty collapsed, the capital is quite unsettled and stricken with chaos. People are whispering amongst themselves that a great calamity may soon befall the nation…” Ryeon trailed off and glanced up at Geonwoon, who clicked his tongue and shook his head. Ryeon realized that she had no choice but to continue and said, looking troubled, “They say that another royal family member instead of Your Highness will succeed the throne…”

“How dare they!” Eventually, Geonwoon’s patience wore thin and he slammed his fist on his table.

Ryeon prostrated herself, her head against the floor, and begged for forgiveness. “My greatest apologies. Please forgive me.”

“It’s fine. You shouldn’t be the one to beg forgiveness from me.”

Pushing back his rage, Geonwoon reverted to his composed mask. He was still seething inside. He had not been officially appointed as the crown prince, but he was receiving lessons as the heir. He was sure his name was engraved on the plaque above the emperor’s door.

As he was born into an ill fate and destined to unrest, Geonwoon didn’t know what his future held. The ministers’ absence from Yeoncheong Palace and their private meeting was the prime example. Those ministers had always disapproved of Geonwoon, so it wasn’t strange that they had an alternative candidate for the throne. Even so, Geonwoon refused to sit through their travesty. He needed to do something. Anything.

“What about my granduncle?”

“Pardon?”

“Where is my granduncle? I must summon him to the palace.”

Geonwoon ordered Ryeon and tugged at his lips. The only person he could rely on now was none other than one of the younger brothers of the emperor, King Jeong. He was the very person to make Yeonhwa the crown princess and was the close aide of the emperor. He also supported Geonwoon’s survival in the Avici[3] of the Imperial Palace.

Who in the world is vying for my rightful place? Was there anyone with such strong ambitions among the royal family?

The days in the palace were too calm and quiet for that to be true. There were very few other than King Jeong who clearly dipped a foot into politics. Then, did Prime Minister Joo and the other ministers search for a person who could be their marionette?

Too many thoughts cluttered Geonwoon’s head. Whatever the case may be, he couldn’t overlook this situation. Even more so because of the ill emperor.

* * *

“You called, Your Highness?”

As the sun dipped below the horizon, King Jeong entered Wei Palace. He was one of the few who cared for Geonwoon, and the only other person the young prince relied on.

“Yes, granduncle. Have you been well?”

“I have, thanks to Your Highness. May I ask if there is a reason you have suddenly called for me?” King Jeong asked. Geonwoon bit his bottom lip slightly.

“That’s…” Geonwoon hesitated for a moment. However, he sighed deeply and started to explain the reason for calling his great uncle. “Because of some news I heard recently.”

“By ‘recently,’ which news would you be referring to?”

“I heard that the ministers are split in opinion on the heir to the throne, even though I, the heir apparent of the crown princess, am residing in Wei Palace,” Geonwoon said in a composed tone.

King Jeong pressed his lips firmly for a moment, glancing up at his grandnephew, before cautiously saying. “In all honesty… I was planning on meeting you soon because of this matter.”

Geonwoon’s brow furrowed in reaction. He was greatly disappointed that his granduncle did not speak to him despite knowing the developments of the situation. Geonwoon didn’t show this outwardly and listened to his granduncle.

“I do not know how much you know, but the followers of Prime Minister Joo were hoping to enthrone Gyeonghwi, the eldest son and the crown prince of King Moon, the thirteenth younger brother of the emperor. He is also a rare Extreme Yang[4] being.”

The Extreme Yang crown prince of King Moon. Did his imperial majesty know or did King Moon not reveal his son’s temperament? Geonwoon was disturbed—if an imperial prince or princess developed into an Extreme Yang, they ascended the throne without fail.

“The crown prince of uncle King Moon?”

“King Moon is also bedridden.”

“…”

“He is conscious, but he is incapable and has difficulties in mobility. His heir, Gyeonghwi has taken on most of his father’s responsibilities.”

King Jeong clucked his tongue, bemoaning that the royal family may see consecutive deaths and that his brothers were all in poor health. Geonwoon watched King Jeong and felt increasingly anxious. He must have thought too highly of King Jeong so far. Despite the unrest in the situation, King Jeong was nonchalant—he was no different from the ministers. Perhaps Geonwoon was the only one who was blind to the current flow of events.

“So…” Geonwoon’s throat was scorching, rapidly drying out. He had faced many difficult times but had lived all his life presuming that he would succeed the throne. However, a totally unexpected man popped out of the blue, unsettling Geonwoon.

King Moon and Gyeonghwi, his son. No matter how hard he thought, Geonwoon couldn’t remember Gyeonghwi at all. He was so preoccupied with his own survival that he didn’t have the leisure to look around even at the imperial galas.

For the sole reason that he has the form and temperament of an Extreme Yang…? Just what have I lived for, then?

Everything felt grim. Perhaps patience wasn’t everything. He had thought that if he stoically and meekly showed his subordination to the emperor, people would recognize and receive him, but perhaps that was never the right thing to do.

Geonwoon silently started to gnaw on his lips anxiously and trembled. He risked having his place—the Imperial throne—snatched away by a man, faceless in his memories.

“Who in the world is this man called Gyeonghwi for him to suddenly make an appearance? This is the first I heard that a royal family member developed into an Extreme Yang.”